New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields is ready to let it rip in Week 7 versus the Carolina Panthers.
The former Ohio State product admitted to the media on Wednesday, October 15, that he has been too conservative this season.
“Yeah, most definitely. I feel like I have been a little too conservative in a sense, probably just be a little bit more aggressive. I have always just been big on ball security and not putting the ball in jeopardy, but it comes to a point where you’ve got to find that healthy balance between trying to fit it in smaller windows and just letting it rip,” Fields explained.
A Stat That Isn’t as Impressive as It Seems
Fields is the only full-time starting quarterback in the NFL who hasn’t thrown an interception through the first six weeks of the season.
In one sense, that is super impressive, but that has also proven to be harmful.
The Jets didn’t have any explosive plays in the Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos, where they sorely could have used one. In a 13-11 loss, you can make a strong argument that one of those plays could have changed the final result. The Jets didn’t have any explosive plays because Fields refused to put the ball in harm’s way.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed that it was “the first time an offense has gone without an explosive play in a game since Week 11, 2021 (Texans vs. Titans).”
“It’s not hard, it’s just changing your mindset going into a game. Like I said, the ball is very important to us as an offense, but at the same time, some of those risks that you can take can turn into explosive plays, so like I said, it’s just finding a happy medium between those two,” Fields said.
Head Coach Aaron Glenn Speaks out on Fields’ Play
On Wednesday, head coach Aaron Glenn was asked whether Fields should be more aggressive as a passer.
“I’ve said that & I still believe that. I think that is for any quarterback, especially when you have man coverage to give your guy a chance. But I do know if something bad happens, you guys are gonna be [expletive] about that about him. The thing is, he just has to go out there & play quarterback & do the best that he can. But I don’t come off that at all, when you’re in man coverage, I mean, you gotta give your guys a chance to go catch the ball,” Coach Glenn said.
“Yeah, I mean it’s a good thing [not having any picks], but also like I said, I think I can be more aggressive. Of course, not throwing interceptions is a great thing, but I also think taking some shots down the field and trying to stretch the field a little bit, I think that’s important for us as an offense to create explovie passes. But like I said, everybody is going to throw picks, it’s just a part of playing quarterback so I look at myself, I looked at myself this past game and over the season, and I just told myself I can be a little bit more aggressive. So this Sunday, probably going to be a bit more aggressive but also not being reckless at the same time. Just being smart when pushing the ball down the field,” Fields responded.
Fields Explains the Recent Dropoff in Rushing
The former Buckeye product leads the NFL in average rushing yards per game among quarterbacks (47.0). However, over the last two games, his production has dipped.
Across his first three starts of the season, Fields toted the rock 24 times for 178 rushing yards and scored three rushing touchdowns. Over the last two starts, Fields has carried the ball 14 times for 57 yards and has failed to score on the ground.
“Well, the past couple of weeks, my legs haven’t been feeling the best. I got kind of a huge contusion against Miami [in Week 4], so I was working through that the past couple of weeks, but over time I’m getting better and my legs are kind of getting back under me,” Fields shared.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jets QB Justin Fields Ready to Let It Rip vs. Panthers appeared first on Heavy Sports.